PC-I amount of the project is worked out at Rs190m of which Rs50 m already allocated. PHOTO: REUTERS
Capital city’s around two million population is forced to consume medically unchecked meat.
Since its establishment in the early 60’s, the city still lacks a proper slaughterhouse facility. While, the authorities responsible to develop it hope, “the city will get one soon”.
In the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) there are as many as 637 registered butchers’ shops, while the city has a daily consumption of around 2,500 animals, as per estimates available with All Pakistan Jamiatul Quresh President Khurshid Qureshi.
“We can’t simply ignore the complaints by citizens about the presence of unhygienic or water-mixed meat at city markets,” Qureshi says admitting currently there is no quality control in this regard.
Qureshi said the availability of good quality meat at affordable price could only be ensured through development of a proper slaughterhouse.
On the other hand, to fulfil the most basic need of the city residents, there are some 25 illegally established slaughtering points in the suburban areas including Saidpur, Bhara Kahu, Tramari, Golra, and Lehtrar.
Asghar Masood, a butcher who runs a meat shop at Sector G-15, says he along with 10 other butchers collectively manage slaughtering at a small private abattoir at Golra.
He says he does not pay for the facility but in return he loses the ownership of slaughtered animal’s entrails, which are exported outside Pakistan against huge returns, and blood which is used in poultry feed.
He looked naïve when he claimed that a city administration official regularly checks the hygiene conditions at the private abattoir.
“We are not responsible for illegal slaughtering or production of medically unchecked meat to the markets but the government departments,” Masood said adding “in fact we’re facilitating the public.”
Such illegal slaughtering is multiplying the fast deteriorating the environment, commented environmentalist Dr Jawad Chishtie.
Chishtie said improper disposal of animal waste at these slaughterhouses is hazardous to the environment.
He said the slaughtered animal’s blood and entrails, which are rich mediums for spread of various diseases, are transported in open vans throughout the city, which could easily infect the general public.
Islamabad Livestock and Dairy Development Board Company Secretary Tariq Mahmood while acknowledging the problem said unavailability of funds is a major hurdle in the way of developing a proper facility. He said currently the department was negotiating with donors in this regard.
The capital’s civic agency spokesperson Asim Khichi said the incumbent management taking notice of this situation has taken some steps to establish a well-equipped slaughterhouse.
He said the CDA’s technical committee approved the establishment of abattoir and the PC-I amount of the project is worked out at Rs 190 million.
“Land measuring 20 acres has been set aside at sector H/9-3 for the purpose,” Khichi said adding the CDA had recently obtained environmental clearance for this project from Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency.
He said construction work on the project would be kicked off soon as the CDA had already allocated Rs50 million for initiating the project.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2014.
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